Liz Lapidus

Founder / Board Member

I came to environmentalism straight out of college, as an intern monitoring environmental legislation at Georgia’s state capitol. Getting to know the many elected officials, lobbyists and conservationists who were invested in positive change made me keenly aware that if enough people use their voices, you can make a difference.

 

While my career pivoted to public relations, I remained actively involved in the community. For more than 25 years at the helm of Liz Lapidus PR, my firm promoted some of the most anticipated brands. Yet my passion remains with our nonprofit clients and through board positions I’ve held and committee work I’ve done with the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, The Hambidge Center, Dad’s Garage, the National Center for Civil & Human Rights, the Maynard Jackson Youth Foundation, AID Atlanta, Jerusalem House and Community Farmers Markets.

Butch Whitfield

Founder / Board Member

I have always viewed the planet as our most precious and fragile resource and my path to becoming an active conservationist has developed over time. Through my degree and subsequent first career in horticulture, I have a deep love and appreciation for all things flora. In my current career as a top performer at Harry Norman, I’m passionate about finding ways to make easy lifestyle changes that can have a big impact, like installing solar panels, driving an electric car, using earth-friendly products, and by reducing the use of plastics and consumption of meat.

 

Community connection is also important to me- I am an advisory board member of Open Hand Atlanta, member of Midtown Alliance, former board member of the Decatur Business Association and the Luxury Marketing Council of Atlanta, former president of the Oakhurst Business Association, twice co-chaired the Decatur Beach Party, and – I also channel my years as an Eagle Scout and experience as the auctioneer for the Oakhurst Elementary School live auction for two years.

 

I believe that if you’re not going to roll up your sleeves and be a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem. To that end, with Johanna and Liz, we founded Root Local to be connectors and conveners in an effort to create long-term and measurable solutions.

Keegan Cross

Board Member

Growing up in Denver, CO, conservation was deeply instilled in my identity from an early age. My first introduction into organized conservation initiatives came in high school when I became very involved in a local nonprofit called Teens4Oceans. Their mission is to empower youth to be stewards of the oceans through experiential education, research, technology, and conservation. I continued my involvement with the organization into my college years and environmentalism has remained a staple value for me ever since.

 

After receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees from Duke University, my professional career took me to New York City. I spent a number of years working in Management Consulting, helping financial institutions on their strategic initiatives and then I transitioned into Commercial Banking for J.P. Morgan Chase. I have since relocated full time to Atlanta, GA and I am thrilled to be part of such an amazing community that is constantly looking for ways to get better each and every day.

Vineeth Loganathan

Board Member

I was born in India and was introduced to environmentalism as a teenager when I joined the National Service Scheme (NSS) of India. Throughout high school and college, as part of the organization, I volunteered regularly to clean up local ecosystems and teach rural students about sustainability. Having spent a considerable amount of time in Asia, Europe, and North America I've seen the disproportionate effect climate change can have on the disadvantaged communities, both urban and rural. Mitigating climate change is going to be the biggest challenge faced by our generation and the ones that come after us.

 

After graduating from college, I moved to Seattle, WA, to work in the tech industry and get my masters in Applied Mathematics from University of Washington. I've spent the last 15 years working in Data Science and Machine Learning in the tech industry with stints in Microsoft, Disney, Amazon, and most recently Airbnb. I relocated to Atlanta in 2021 and have fallen in love with everything the city has to offer. As a lifelong technologist, I'm excited to be a part of Root Local to help make their vision a reality by leveraging the power of technology to make connections and share knowledge.

Sara O'Neal

Board Member

Between being a practitioner and a consultant, Sara has over 35 years of experience in development, capital campaigns, feasibility studies, organizational development and strategic planning,

 

She has served as Senior Vice President for Brakeley Briscoe, a national fundraising and management consulting company, President of the Nonprofit Consulting Team, and President of Green Pursuits. Sara has held staff positions as Director of Development at the Atlanta Ballet and the Regional Director of Major Gifts – East for Sierra Club’s Centennial Campaign. In this successful capital Centennial Campaign, she was honored in the Sierra Club BOD minutes as having done “a magnificent job not only in raising funds but also in developing a pool of prospects and in working closely with Club volunteers…”

 

Because of her extensive training and capacity building consulting work, in 2000 Sara was selected as one of four trainers to be interviewed nationally for a best practices study funded by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation with the results published as Echoes from the Field: Proven Capacity-Building Principles for Nonprofits.

 

She has taught various fundraising and organizational development classes for Duke University’s Continuing Education Nonprofit Management Program.

 

Sara started her professional fundraising career at Capital Consortium in Raleigh, NC where she contributed to the premier issue of the North Carolina Grantseeking Directory.

 

In 2012, she conducted a study was for The Overbrook Foundation, NY on the Needs, Characteristics and Best Practices of Environmental Networks and Coalitions (surveyed groups all over the U.S).

 

Having lived in GA for some thirty-five years, Sara has worked with a variety of GA clients including: YWCA of Greater Atlanta (general fundraising and planning to position them for a capital campaign), Jerusalem House (organizational planning and fundraising campaign), The ROCK (fundraising planning for fundraising campaign), Allied Arts (strategic planning), Cherokee County Historical Society (assisted with preparation of successful National Trust for Historical Preservation grant and fundraising campaign planning and research), Georgia Center for Children (ongoing fundraising campaign support), Georgia Center for Pastoral Care (fundraising campaign planning), the Governor’s Environmental Quality Council (committee structure planning and facilitation), Nexus Contemporary Art Center (fundraising campaign planning), and Product Policy Institute (ongoing fundraising and organizational development counsel).